Today we’d like to introduce you to Shelley Smith.
Shelley, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
Divine timing is what got me started and at the position, I’m at today. I’ve always had an entrepreneurial spirit growing up which I can thank various family members for. However, working alongside my parents on their food truck when I was about 6-9 years old showed me the blueprint for what you can achieve when you have a true passion for the service you provide. Learning this early was key as I began thinking of having my own business around 2015. The initial focus of establishing Summa Dis -N- Summa Dat in 2016 was of course to make money. However, there were certain principles that were key for me to follow because I’m a big believer that all money isn’t good money. Therefore, it took me a bit longer to build my following because I’m particular about the type of clients that I serve. The wait was well worth it! Here we are six years later and I’ve catered for major events such as the Special Olympics and Grand Illumination in Richmond, VA. I’ve partnered with Brightpoint Community College (Formerly John Tyler Community College) Student Government Association to host a Live Cooking series called Tasty Thursdays each semester for the past two years. I even had the opportunity to cater for Travis Porter during the Young Alumni Gym Jam at Winston-Salem University. It doesn’t matter what the business is, if you are truly passionate about it then the money will always come. You continue planting the seeds and understand when it’s diving timing, you will reap your harvest.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Nothing in life is ever smooth! You will always encounter adversity from all angles along the way. The toughest challenge for me has been overcoming the fear of failure. It was preventing me from consistently pursuing catering contracts. More importantly, I knew I wasn’t fulfilling my passion because it was all I could think of but was doing nothing to purse it. Being a mother, I was afraid to invest into my business fully because if things failed that would affect not just me but my child’s livelihood as well. When all you have is yourself to depend on financially, you have to take all pros and cons into account. I still maintain a full-time job and referee to ensure me pursuing my dreams does not affect my primary responsibilities. But even given all of that, if you are passionate about something you find a way! No matter what the obstacle is, focus on a solution that keeps you on the path to attaining your dreams which is the bigger picture.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
Summa Dis -N- Summa Dat is a catering company based out of Richmond, VA. However, we are also mobile and have done events in MD, GA, NC, and FL. Unlike other catering companies, we specialize in an array of food. Hence, the name Summa Dis -N- Summa Dat because you can get just about any type of dish from Soul food, Jamaican, Seafood, etc. Ultimately my goal is to partner with more colleges and businesses to conduct Live Cooking Shows both in-person and virtually. In addition, I am focused on increasing our footprint in the entertainment industry to provide catering services for a variety of events such as photo/video shoots, private parties, comedy shows, etc… We currently have a lot of major projects and partnerships underway. One being our very first Cookbook going on sale 2/22/22. You can visit https://www.inception-ent.com/ to purchase.
What matters most to you? Why?
Showing genuine love matters the most to me. No matter where you go or how much money you make, people remember how you made them feel. Summa Dis -N- Summa Dat is Where Cooking is Love Made Visible. Cooking is a form of art and it allows me to convey my love through each dish which creates a canvas forever etched in each client’s mind. We need nourishment to survive but I’d argue that we need just as much love. So I simply mix the two so if anyone I’m serving that day has been empty on either then they walk away full!
Contact Info:
- Email: summadisnsummadat@gmail.com
- Website: https://www.inception-ent.com/?page_id=327
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/summadisnsummadat/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SummaDisNSummaDat
